The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a blade geometry characterization tool and, more particularly, to a tool for airfoil blade geometry characterization that permits quantification of blade geometry during manufacture or repair processes.
Blades used with aircrafts, for example, are generally provided with adjustment features such as trim tabs and weight pockets. These features serve to compensate for manufacturing variations and to achieve interchangeability of one blade with another. However, since the adjustments associated with these features are generally accomplished by flight testing of a blade following manufacture or repair on a whirl tower or an aircraft, the adjustments are referred to as “late process” adjustments and can be expensive in terms of lost flight time.
Since the geometry of each blade affects the aerodynamic properties of each blade, blade geometry may be a significant factor in determining how a blade will perform in flight. Thus, if blade geometry could be quantified during “early process” manufacturing or repair processes, its whirl performance may be predicted. This type of information could be beneficial for planning purposes and may decrease the need for relatively expensive “late process” adjustments.